MYSTICISM &—ISTD

Mysticism & Logic and Other Essays is a book written by Bertrand Russell in 1910 which examines the two approaches to philosophy — mysticism and logic. Bertrand does this by approaching four of the main conflicting ideas between the two impulses — reason and intuition, unity and plurality, time and the illusion of time and good and evil or the illusion of each. This was the book I sourced by using my date of birth as a catalogue number in the Dewey Decimal system in the Trinity Library.
Mysticism & is a contemporary zine that examines the use of ‘mysticism’ in a creative context. Through interviews with artists and designers working in the creative arts who also practise some form of inward looking practice such as meditation or mindfulness, it is my intention to create an internal dialogue in the readers mind around the benefits of this extra level of mind. The approach taken was both logical and mystical, methodical and intuitive. Using these methods to form design strategies and make decisions.
The use of strong abstract ‘mystical’ images form an impression of the non-physical realm and attempt to draw the reader in and set the tone for the publication. They are also interpretations of each chapter in the original book. Large expressive type used for significant pull quotes jumps out at the reader and raises questions that invites them to turn the page and read the full passage of text. With clear and large and straightforward type and layout, readability was a key concern. The use of transparency throughout the zine creates a sense of chance, with areas of the type showing through sections of the images and leading the observer to examine in depth what is being conveyed in the document.
This Submission to ISTD 2017 Student Assessments received entry.